Newsletter
ES
Sign in

Aviation glossary

FADEC

Full Authority Digital Engine Control · Also: full authority digital engine control, electronic engine control

Engines

Computer system that controls every aspect of a turbine engine's operation, including fuel flow, starting and limits, based on the thrust lever position.

What it is

With FADEC, the pilot does not meter fuel directly. Moving the thrust lever is a request for a level of thrust, and the engine computer works out how much fuel to inject and how to set the compressor's variable vanes and bleed valves, while making sure temperature and speed limits are never exceeded. It also automates the start sequence and records data for maintenance.

'Full authority' means there is no mechanical back-up that can override the computer. The system is therefore redundant: each engine normally carries an electronic control unit with two independent channels, powered by its own alternator driven by the engine itself.

It became common on civil engines from the 1980s and is now fitted to most turbofans and many modern turboprops. Besides protecting the engine, it saves fuel by keeping it at its optimum operating point.

Related terms

TurbofanJet engine in which a large front fan drives air around the core, producing most of the thrust with greater efficiency and less noise. ThrustForce produced by an engine as it accelerates air or exhaust gas rearwards, pushing the aircraft forward in reaction. Specific fuel consumptionAmount of fuel an engine burns for each unit of thrust or power it produces over a given time; the standard measure of engine efficiency. Fly-by-wireFlight control system in which the pilot's inputs travel as electrical signals to computers that move the control surfaces. Glass cockpitFlight deck in which most dial instruments are replaced by electronic screens that combine flight, navigation and systems information.
Whole glossary

Cite

To cite this page in academic work, an article or Wikipedia, choose the style and copy the reference. The access date is today.

This page was last updated on October 9, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). FADEC. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/fadec

MLA

“FADEC.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/fadec. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “FADEC.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/fadec.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) FADEC. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/fadec (Accessed: 16 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_fadec,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{FADEC}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-09},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/fadec},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/fadec}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-16},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-16}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/fadec |title=FADEC |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-16 |language=en}}

Explore the encyclopedia

Homethe record of every aircraftAirlinesdocumented fleetsModelsfrom the Airbus A220 to the Boeing 747Compareup to three aircraft, side by sideManufacturerswho builds the aircraft, and their enginesIVCA Rankingair quality, from 0 to 100Newsthe latest from the recordsOn this dayaviation, day by dayVideosone aviation story a day, on videoAirportsthe world's leading onesAccidentswhat every accident changedTimelinethe whole century, 1903 to todayPeoplewho made all of this possibleOn Screenwhen the airliner was the plotTriviaa daily aviation challengeMemoriesa name in an aircraft's historyPresspress releases and Vuelopedia in the mediaYour profilesign in or create your accountAboutwhat Vuelopedia is and who makes it